A map of my mind

I like thinking. I don't do it often or might not be very good at it but some time I get a boost of energy and get lots of ideas. This time I managed to get it onto a mindmap so I won't forget all my ideas and it gives me a good overview of all that needs to be done with this build.

As you can see there is lots of options when building touch-tables. The more I read about other peoples work the more ideas I get and it just spirals into a massive project.

I find that the hardware I'm going to build is less inspiring then the UI that I want to build. The mindmap won't show it but I have atleast 200% more ideas when it comes to the UI then with the hardware design. But I hope that I can draw my prototype table this week so at least I have some surface to work on.

So what is my next goal then. Well apart from all the theory I'm learning about DirectX and how to build the table I have a more concrete goal. At the end of the week I will have a lit 3D cube that I can move with my finger. I will prove it with a video and put some pressure on me to get on with stuff.

I just need to convert our glass table in the living room into a temp touch table and I expect my girlfriend to think that is a GREAT idea :D

Enough rambling. Back to work.

PS, Does anyone know how to make wordpress to make the image link to the full size image. The image is WAY to small to be able to read anything Found it :)

First test with PS3 Eye...Fail

So I got my PS3 Eye yesterday. Happy as a spring chicken (I assume they are happy) I jammed it into my laptop and expected the miracles to begin. Well first off I installed a old version of Alex P's PS3 eye driver [v2.0b81109] on my Windows 7 machine. Result? Fail. It ran perfect in all resolutions and framerates but after a few seconds of running it just died.

I poked around some more and found a updated driver [v2.1.0.0130] hidden in Alex P's blog. Loaded it up.. Fail.. Same again. To be fair to Alex it hasn't been tested for Windows 7 so I will install Vista tonight and give it another run. Bit sad start but I know it will work. Just need to give it a helping hand (aka threaten to make it a surveillance camera for my girlfriends chilliplant!)

*Don't worry dear girlfriend. I haven't wasted the money. It will work  :D

Omniverse hardware prototype

My first hardware prototype is done. After lots of hard work and many many minutes (three to be precise) the first multi-touch prototype is done. It might not land me a job at Apple Hardware design department but I've gone for function over design aproach :) Here what you need to reproduce it.

• Cardbord box belonging to a bedlamp

• Old webcam you have lying around (I stole my girlfriends)


• Tracing paper (Atleast that what I think it's called. The paper you use to bake you know?)


• Tape


• Wettowl from local pizza place (optional)

Well I won't insult you by telling you how to put it all together but remember that this will only give you dark blobs so your software need to be able to trace that (CCV does that nicely)

My first test gave me very good results as I mentioned in the last post. When I get my Playstation Eye camera I will try to make a more permanent version for my glass table so I can get some better settings and calibration.

And if you wonder about the yellow wettowl. It's a pillow for the camera cause it cant bend it's neck as I wish. And I like to be nice to my gadgets ofc.

Until next time